Veronica plant named ‘Allfount’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Veronica  plant named ‘Allfount’, characterized by its upright plant habit; dark green-colored leaves; freely flowering habit; dense inflorescences with numerous violet-colored flowers; and good performance as a garden plant and as a cut flower.

Botanical designation: Veronica longifolia x Veronica spicata.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ALLFOUNT’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Veronica plant, botanically known as Veronica longifolia x Veronica spicata, typically grown as a cut flower and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Allfount’.

The new Veronica plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Cuijk, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new attractive Veronica plants with unique inflorescence form.

The new Veronica plant originated from an open-pollination in August, 2013 of a proprietary selection of Veronica longifolia x Veronica spicata identified as code number 1-2013-80, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Veronica longifolia x Veronica spicata as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Veronica plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled nursery environment in Cuijk, The Netherlands in June, 2014.

Asexual reproduction of the new Veronica plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Cuijk, The Netherlands, since September, 2014 has shown that the unique features of this new Veronica plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Veronica have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Allfount’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Allfount’ as a new and distinct Veronica plant:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit.     -   2. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Dense inflorescences with numerous violet-colored flowers.     -   5. Good performance as a garden plant and as a cut flower.

Plants of the new Veronica differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Inflorescences of plants of the new Veronica are compound         racemes whereas inflorescences of plants of the female parent         selection are a single spike with secondary smaller spikes.     -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Veronica are violet in color         whereas flowers of plants of the female parent selection are         pink in color.

Plants of the new Veronica can be compared to plants of Veronica longifolia x Veronica spicata ‘Alllaguna’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 27,506. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Veronica differ primarily from plants of ‘Alllaguna’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Inflorescences of plants of the new Veronica are compound         racemes whereas inflorescences of plants of ‘Alllaguna’ are         fasciated racemes.     -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Veronica are violet in color         whereas flowers of plants of ‘Alllaguna’ are dark blue in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the Veronica plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Veronica plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Allfount’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Allfount’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and following description were grown during the spring in an outdoor nursery in Kenya and under cultural practices typical of commercial Veronica production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 28° C. and night temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 15° C. Plants were one year old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Veronica longifolia x Veronica spicata     ‘Allfount’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Veronica             longifolia x Veronica spicata identified as code number             1-2013-80, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Veronica             longifolia x Veronica spicata, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 10 to 14 days at             temperatures ranging from 12° C. to 30° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 24 to 32             days at temperatures ranging from 12° C. to 30° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fleshy; typically white in color,             actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation,             substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Plant and growth habit.—Upright plant habit; moderately             vigorous growth habit and moderate growth rate.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 60             cm.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane.—About 68             cm.         -   Plant width.—About 32.7 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Branching habit: Freely             branching habit with about four main stems; pinching will             enhance lateral branching. Length: About 62.8 cm. Diameter:             About 4 mm. Internode length: About 4.8 cm. Strength:             Strong. Aspect: About 30° from vertical. Texture and luster:             Densely pubescent; slightly glossy. Color, developing: Close             to 145B. Color, developed: Close to 144B. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 11.4 cm.         -   Width.—About 3 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate; slightly curled downward, slightly to             moderately carinate.         -   Apex.—Narrowly acute.         -   Base.—Truncate.         -   Margin.—Serrate.         -   Texture and luster, upper surface.—Sparsely pubescent;             slightly rugose; moderately glossy.         -   Texture and luster, lower surface.—Sparsely pubescent;             slightly rugose; matte.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to NN137A; venation,             close to 152A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 147B; venation, close to 146C.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 1.4 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture and luster, upper surface: Densely             pubescent; matte. Texture and luster, lower surface:             Sparsely to moderately pubescent; moderately glossy. Color,             upper surface: Close to 144A. Color, lower surface: Close to             144B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Single campanulate flowers             arranged on dense terminal compound racemes; flowers face             mostly outwardly.         -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit with about 2,000             flowers developing per inflorescence.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period; plants             flower continuously from the spring until the autumn in The             Netherlands.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about 30 days on             the plant and about 10 days as a cut flower; flowers             persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 4.5 mm. Diameter: About 1.75 mm.             Shape: Ovate to oblong. Texture and luster: Smooth,             glabrous; matte. Color: Close to N88B; developing calyx,             close to 138C.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 8.3 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 8.2 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 5 mm by 6 mm.         -   Flower height.—About 7 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: Four in a single whorl;             petals fused about 40% of the petal length from the base.             Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 2 mm to 3 mm. Shape: Oblong             to broadly ovate; slightly concave. Apex: Obtuse. Margin:             Entire. Texture and luster, upper surface: Distally, smooth,             glabrous and proximally, densely pubescent; matte. Texture             and luster, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color:             When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to NN88B.             Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to NN88A;             color does not change with development.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Four arranged in a single             whorl. Length: About 1 mm to 1.5 mm. Width: About 0.75 mm.             Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Broadly cuneate, fused.             Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color: When opening,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 138C. Fully opened, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 137C.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 4.8 cm. Length,             axillary peduncle: About 6.3 cm. Diameter, terminal and             axillary peduncles: About 3 mm. Aspect: Mostly upright.             Strength: Strong. Texture and luster: Densely pubescent;             slightly glossy. Color: Close to 144B.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm.             Aspect: About 50° from peduncle axis. Strength: Moderately             strong. Texture and luster: Moderately pubescent; slightly             glossy. Color: Close to 143C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically             two, occasionally one. Filament length: About 6 mm. Filament             color: Close to N88A. Anther shape: Short oblong;             dorsifixed. Anther size: About 1 mm by 0.5 mm. Anther color:             Close to between N92A and 203C. Pollen amount: Moderate.             Pollen color: Close to 4D. Pistils: Quantity per flower:             One. Pistil length: About 7 mm. Stigma diameter: About 1 mm.             Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close to N144D.             Style length: About 6 mm. Style color: Close to 86B; fading             proximally to color to 86A. Ovary color: Close to 145A to             145B.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development has             not been observed on plants of the new Veronica. -   Disease & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Veronica have     not been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Veronica plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Veronica have exhibited good     garden performance and to be tolerant to rain, wind, high     temperatures about 35° C. and to be suitable for USDA Hardiness     Zones 4 through 9. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Veronica plant named ‘Allfount’ as illustrated and described. 